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Thursday, June 29, 2017

18-year-old
Seaman Second Class Jack Rowe, from Rhode Island, kept a meticulous diary of
his United States Coast Guard experiences leading up to the allied D-Day
invasion on June 6, 1944. Aboard the USS
Joseph T. Dickman, Rowe carried with him a typewriter and kept daily
accounts of his time at sea and when the ship arrived at Portsmouth, England.
Beginning in May 1944, Rowe really starts to question where they are headed;
the success of the D-Day invasion was contingent on secrecy, and so, the allied
forces involved had no idea where they were going or when the invasion would
take place. As a result, Rowe began noting clues around the ship that he would
eventually piece together and determine they were headed to France.

May 18, 1944

1100
- Payday. Rumors are the pay records are going ashore. That means one thing,
the invasion is not far off.

May 25, 1944

1100-
Just finished gas attack drill which the entire boat division had to attend as
we are most likely to come in contact with gas.

Though the Geneva Accords prohibited any armed forces to
utilize poison gas as a weapon on the battlefield, the Allies did not want to
take any chances of being unprepared for such an attack on the D-Day invasion,
given that the Germans used poison gas during World War I. As a result, allied
forces preparing for the D-Day invasion were also given gas masks carried in
plastic knapsacks just in case. When the allies realized there was no poison
gas on the beaches, soldiers ditched their gas masks to reduce weight they were
carrying.

May 26, 1944

1750- Moored to a buoy at Falmouth...There are two sunken ships in the
harbor...A grim reminder that the Germans have bombed here and what can happen.

Following Rowe’s docking in England several days before the
invasion took place, he and his buddies explored the town, went to dance halls,
and went on dates with girls from the area. Rowe writes of converting his pay
into the local currency and that he spent most of it each day by buying food
and gifts for the girls he met in town. However, being able to see the effect
that the Germans had on the English, and knowing that an invasion was coming,
Rowe felt more inspired and proud of what he was going to be a part of.

2000-Been reading and talking
about the invasion with the fellows, we all figure it won’t be long now.

Rowe and his friends spent time trying to put all the clues
together and determine and when and where the invasion would take place.

June 1, 1944

2200-...We
have two correspondents aboard for the invasion. One is from “Life Magazine”.
It is only a matter of days now till the big bang.

The fact that news correspondents were aboard the same ships
and that they were also preparing to cover the invasion, indicated to Rowe and
the other allied forces, that this invasion was going to be large and if
successful, history in the making. For Rowe, being apart of the invasion made him incredibly proud.

June 2, 1944

0530-
Entire eighth division got up early for chow. Over the side at 0630. LCM’s
didn’t go. We are bringing on troops now. It is France we are to hit and south.
I know on a map about where it is but don’t know as yet which city of any size
it is near.

Four days before the invasion, Rowe has finally determined
where the invasion is going to take place: France. This is all he knows at this
point - that they are going to face the Germans in France; however, they do not
know where exactly. The Germans beleived that the allies would try to cross and
perform the invasion at Calais, which is the closest distance between England
and France, but the allies ultimately chose Normandy for the invasion, even
though it was a larger distance to cross, it was a less suspected location.

June 3, 1944

1400-1500-...My
bet is we will invade Monday, (morning) June 5.

2000-Got
seven letters and some pictures of my aunt and uncle plus a picture of my best
girl. Boy, it was swell to get up to date mail before we go into action. Am
going to carry my girl’s picture with me plus my money, etc.

June 5th, Rowe and the others started to more readily prepare
for the invasion and believed it was going to happen in a few days. The D-Day
invasion was actually meant occur on June 5th, as Rowe suspects, but bad weather
made Eisenhower, postpone the invasion to June 6th.

June 4, 1944

0945-An
Army Colonel talked to us this morning of his great faith in us, as to getting
his men onto the beach on time and in the right spot. A Navy Intelligence Lt.
Commander gave us last minute dope on beach, what to expect - the various steps
required to take a cement fortification. Next one of the boat wave officers
(1st and 2nd wave) told us about the obstructions likely to be encountered;
possibility of burning oil on water, gas, machine gun nests, air raids, etc.
The chance of them using gas is 3 to 1.

During the weeks leading up to the D-Day invasion allied
ships and planes bombarded Hitler’s Atlantic Wall, which is described above.
Beginning in 1940, the Germans knew that the allies would attempt an invasion
into Northern Europe, and thus, established the Atlantic Wall, which was a
thick line of defenses lining the entire coastline of Northern Europe. These
defenses included barbed wire fences, hedgehogs - which were structures meant
to rip open the bottoms of ships at high tide, mines, and finally, the German
cement bunkers. This was a lot for the allies to try to overcome while also
being shot at by the Germans during the invasion, and so, before the invasion
took place, the allies worked to bombard the wall and weaken German defenses.

June 5, 1944

1000-
(D) Day is tomorrow morning, (H) Hour is 0600 - if all goes well.

1300-
While eating chow we were read some farewell addresses from various generals
and Lt. Generals. Lt. General Omar Bradley, General Montgomery and some English
generals. Eisenhower’s speech is to be passed out to us sometime this evening.
All the speeches ran along the same lines; How the world was awaiting the news
of this invasion; why we are making it; how they were confident we would
succeed, etc.

On June 5, 1944, General Eisenhower issued his Order of the
Day to each soldier, which encouraged and inspired them in regard to the
upcoming invasion. Many soldiers got their buddies to sign their Order of the
Day as a memento of the invasion, and then carried that paper throughout the
rest of the war. Eisenhower’s speech instilled valor, fidelity, and sacrifice
in the men. However, the Order of the Day was not the only letter that
Eisenhower wrote for D-Day; half-expecting a huge defeat, Eisenhower prepared a
second letter in which he took full responsibility for the invasion, should it
not go well.

Seaman 2nd Class Jack Rowe is prepared for the invasion and
is very optimistic about his chances at survival. As seen in the final passage
of Rowe’s diary, he was certain that he would be able to return to his
typewriter at the end of the day and write about the invasion. Sadly, Jack Rowe
was one of the 99 Americans who died on Utah Beach on June 6, 1944. His diary
ends with the quote below, and as a whole, Rowe’s recollections of the months
and days leading up to the D-Day invasion provide an intimate glimpse into the
daily life, struggles, and moments of happiness that D-Day soldiers
experienced.

June 6, 1944

0300-Entire
eighth division has just been called to chow down in 15 minutes. I have been up
since 1130, put on some heavy underwear because it is cold out. It is rough and
windy. Mine sweepers are sweeping the way and dropping buoys as they go. The
sky is being lighted up by constant flashes about 2 points off the starboard
now. My shipmates are climbing out of the pits, some noisy as usual, some of
the noisy ones are very quiet, others talking, making speeches in a kidding
way; the heavy sleepers weaving around the compartment trying to wake up. It’s hard to tell who is putting on a show
to cover up his feelings but I think I spotted a couple. Most are glad the time
is here at last. It has been tiresome waiting month after month for something
you know is bound to happen. Well I have a few little odds and ends to do
before I go over the side, so I guess I
will be off to see history made and the biggest show of any war yet of its type.
When I come back I will have a lot to write about. As to coming back, there is no doubt in my mind that I will.

The National D-Day Memorialis run by a private, non-profit educational foundation in Bedford, Virginia that seeks to preserve the lessons and legacy of D-Day, June 6, 1944.

Meet Maggie

About Me

I work as the Education Coordinator for the National D-Day Memorial planning a variety of family-friendly programs for students of all ages. It is my passion to present history in a way that is fun and engaging.